Facebook is not a force to be reckoned with; it's one of the many social media channels that have become a part of our everyday lives. It's a place for us to catch up with friends and family, consume content, find out the latest news and share every part of our lives. Love it or hate it, Facebook is certainly here to stay.

But are marketers leveraging the power of Facebook as much as they should be?

Having a strong social media strategy, as we know, plays a huge part in engaging our customers and raising brand awareness. Facebook is a major player within that strategy. But are you using it enough? Perhaps these figures will sway your opinion.

According to recent stats from Facebook's community update, the reach and sheer power Facebook has within the industry is phenomenal.

1.65 billion are on Facebook each month - billion!

1 billion are using WhatsApp each month

900 million use messenger each month

400 million are on Instagram

And that's not all

We were all waiting for that moment when Facebook would introduce the dislike feature. Not only did they introduce it but launched multiple other reactions for us to take advantage of. Like, love, sad, angry! With these new features, marketers can be more creative in they way they create content, allowing for a whole new level of engagement with their customers.

Other new features that Facebook have launched include the exciting new live video. Following in the footsteps of Snapchat and Periscope, Facebook Live allows marketers to instantaneously reach out to their desired audience through the power of real time. Live streaming is one of the many new and exciting ways marketers can enhance their marketing efforts and reach out to perspective new customers.

Not just a social media platform, Facebook is taking engagement and connectivity to a whole new level. It's constantly developing and re-inventing itself, which probably explains why it never goes away.

This continual development and interaction with customers is the perfect platform for marketers to speak and engage with their audience - so why not take advantage?

If you'd like to learn more about the power of social media, then check out our Social Media: Strategy, Tools and Tactics course. A highly practical two day course that give you the skills, tools and confidence to create and execute the very best social media strategy for your business.

Why do it with the IDM?

Marketers who choose the IDM as their training partner make a real difference to their business, their customers’ lives and their own career.

The IDM is leading the ‘do revolution’

What counts today more than ever is not what you think, or even what you say, but what you can do. IDM qualifications and short marketing courses are designed for marketers who want to do more, faster, better.

Over the last 30 years we’ve trained over 100,000 delegates across 28 countries, from Microsoft to the BBC, John Lewis to Lego.